When the subject of music is brought up at Oberlin, the conversation often centers on the conservatory. While this part of the institution merits attention, the bustling and innovative music scene within the college certainly should not go unrecognized. On April 29 at the Cat in the Cream, the Video Game Cover Collective (VGCC) made a compelling case for why musical collaborations between college and conservatory students should be more commonplace.
At 7:30, the show kicked off with an arrangement by 4th year composition student Max Allard of Kazumi Totaka’s historic Nintendo E-Shop music. Though the first few entrances had an air of shyness about them, Allard’s acoustic ensemble did a wonderful job of embodying the music’s calming, playful character. The choice to use a string quartet with electric bass allowed for an exceptionally rich blend during tutti chords.
For the next piece, the VGCC’s faculty sponsor, Kyle Decker, wrote a medley of Kinoyu Yamashita’s music from “Castlevania” that creatively captured the game’s adventurous spirit. Decker’s arrangement oscillated between fiery allegro sections and lyrical, minor refrains. The faster pieces were a ferocious battle between the high strings and acoustic bass for control over the groove, while the slower songs evoked a sensation of mystery and impending danger. The medley came to a solemn conclusion as the high strings and bass joined together in one last lamentful motif.
Particularly memorable was a medley of Kenji Yamamoto’s music from “Super Metroid” for brass ensemble. This arrangement began with a crisp, radiant call from a piccolo trumpet that was answered by a dark, thunderous roar in the tuba and euphonium. As more instruments emerged from a droning texture, cascading off of one another, the audience started to bob in sync with the catchy tune.
Another great moment was the opening section of a theme from the 4th generation Pokémon games by Juinichi Masuda arranged for flute, piccolo, electric guitar, electric bass, and piano. The song commenced with an explosion of 16th notes in the flute and piccolo which established a passionate, frenetic aura. Even as the winds started playing more lyrically, the constant ebbing and flowing of volume allowed the music to maintain its sharpness. The only dip in energy occurred when the drumless rhythm section dragged a bit during the later part of the piece. Nonetheless, this rendition would have made any fan of the Pokémon games very proud.
The evening’s final group was made up of all of the VGCC’s officers. This funk ensemble plus viola and flute performed an homage to the graduating members of the collective in the form of a Kazumi Totaka theme from “Animal Crossing.” It was sad to realize that while many of these officers would not be returning to the collective, their contributions will certainly be remembered.
This Video Game Cover Collective concert represents a unique slice of Oberlin’s musical offerings. As incredible as conservatory performances may be, it is refreshing to see students organizing musical activities on their own, simply because it gives them an opportunity to share their favorite hobbies with others.
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